by Jade, Ashley
My spidey senses tingle as I continue my appraisal. I was so focused on Preston, I never took the time to look at her.
Everything from the red soles of her heels to the expensive silk dress she’s donning tells me she’s loaded. As if detecting my nosiness, her eyes drift across the room.
I swiftly dip behind a slot machine and follow her line of sight to where an older gentleman is playing blackjack. He’s so into the game, he either doesn’t notice or doesn’t want to return the wave she gives him.
Disappointment flashes across Preston’s face briefly during the exchange, but not one to be deterred, he gives her a coy smirk and says something that has the woman blushing.
I have to bite my knuckle to stop from laughing as I put all the pieces together. Preston’s here trying to snag himself a sugar mama.
My amusement dies when she jots something down on a napkin and slips him a key card.
Sorry, lady. The position’s been filled already.
Thinking quick, I rush over to the bar.
“There you are, baby,” I coo as I wedge myself between their stools and slip an arm around his neck.
The only person more surprised than the adulteress by my impeccable timing is Preston.
“What the hell are you doing?” he growls low and deadly as I rise on my tiptoes and smack a chaste kiss on the tip of his nose.
Ignoring him, I turn to the woman and stick out my hand. “Hi, there. I’m Kit.”
She shifts in her seat, visibly uncomfortable. “Shannon.”
I give her hand a firm squeeze. “Now that we got that out of the way, Shannon, I’m going to need you to run back to your husband.” I level her with a stare. “Unless you want me to inform him that you slipped my man a hotel key while he was playing blackjack.”
She drops my hand like a hot potato. “I didn’t—I’m sorry.”
Preston’s arm swoops around my waist, tugging me back. “What the fuck is your problem?”
“Who me?” I question innocently as the flustered woman scurries off and I face him. “I don’t have a problem. Then again I’m not the one soliciting married women.”
His eyes narrow. “It’s none of your business.”
“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong.” I take a sip of his beer, washing down my nerves. “I have a proposition for you.”
He snatches the mug from me. “Not interested.”
“You haven’t even heard it.”
He downs the rest of his beer and looks at the bartender. “You can put this on her tab.”
And then, like we weren’t in the middle of a conversation, he stands up, nearly knocking me over in the process, and storms off.
Swear on everything he is the rudest person I’ve ever known. I toss a few bills at the bartender and chase after him. “Preston, wait.”
His strides accelerate, giving me no choice but to jog behind him. “You know, it’s really not nice to walk away from someone who’s trying to help you.”
A middle finger in the air is my only response.
My simmering pot of aggravation boils over. “Why are you such an asshole? You were the one who ruined our friendship when you lied to me about the baby and then stuck your dirty dick in the love of my life.”
My outburst causes a few people to stop and stare, but I don’t care. I’ve tried to be mature. I’ve tried to be civil. I’ve tried to be gracious. And yet, he treats the dirt on the bottom of his shoe better than me.
“I never lied to you,” he calls out behind him.
“Yes, you did,” I argue. “In the elevator when I—”
He stops abruptly and I almost ram into his back. “Exactly, Bishop. You. I never told you anything.” He spins around. “You took what she said at face value and believed it. Hell, it was pointless for me to even go there in the first place. Biggest mistake of my life.”
I shake my head, not understanding. “What do you mean—”
“Why do you think I was in the cafeteria that day, huh? Here’s a hint. It wasn’t for the chicken salad.”
It’s like he just hit me over the head with a steel bat. So many horrific things happened that day, but it never once occurred to me that I was the reason Preston was standing there in the first place. The reason he almost died. Maybe even the reason he doesn’t get along with his brother anymore.
I clutch my chest, the realization sinking in. “That’s why you hate me so much, isn’t it?”
“No, I never blamed you for me being there.” He glowers. “But don’t accuse me of lying to you back then when I had every intention of telling you the truth.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
He snorts. “Like it would have mattered. Your mind was already made up about me. I never stood a chance.”
Before I can say a word, he takes off once more, leaving me in the dust.
“That’s not true,” I exclaim. “If you told me, I would have believed you. I would have—”
“Would have what? Accused me of being a user and manipulator again?”
His words are like a punch to the gut. Not because of the bitterness behind them, although that’s a little daunting. But because he’s not wrong.
I was so angry and hurt over Becca, I had him pegged as the villain no matter what he did. Not that it excuses what I walked in on, but maybe things aren’t so black and white.
Maybe we’re stuck in the gray area.
As much as I hate to acknowledge it, Becca and Preston had a relationship that had nothing to do with me. I can’t imagine the pain of finding out the baby I was led to believe was mine for months…wasn’t. God only knows what he must have been going through. It must have stung like hell.
I wasn’t the only one she hurt and lied to.
Turns out a mental breakdown and three long years will give you some stellar hindsight.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“I don’t need your apology. What I need is for you to go back to wherever it is you came from and leave me alone.”
And just like that, I’m back to wanting to deck him in the face.
I follow him out the front doors. “Why do you hate me so much?”
“I don’t hate you. If I hated you I would have left you on the street last night.”
Okay, we’re making progress. “You have a point.” I gesture between us. “See? Look at us not hating each other. Now, about my prop—”
He walks over to the taxi stand, effectively cutting me off.
I stomp after him. “Dammit, Preston. Can you stay still for two seconds so I can talk to you?”
A vein in his forehead pulses as I approach. “Christ, you can’t take a hint. Go away.”
“Not until you hear me out.”
“You have one minute.” He motions to the taxi pulling up to the curb. “Make that two seconds.”
Adrenaline races through me and I blurt out the first thing that pops into my mind. “Marry me.”
Not many things crack Preston’s arctic exterior, but his expression changes in the span of a single second, going from confused, to dubious, and finally, shock. He’s so thrown off by my request, the person behind us cuts in front of him and takes his taxi.
Unfortunately, there’s another behind it and he gets inside that one. “You should lay off the drugs, Kit. They’re seriously fucking you up.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not high, you ass. I’m being—”
He slams the car door, but I wrench it open at the last minute and get in.
Preston tries to get out, but the driver takes off. “Where to?”
“Stratosphere,” Preston grumbles at the same time I say, “Same place he’s going.”
Preston glares in my direction. “Stop following me.”
“I’m not.” I fish my key out of my purse and hold it up. “It’s my hotel.”
“Of course it is.” He looks at the driver. “You can drop me off here.”
I pull out a hundred-dollar bill and hand it to the driver. “Don’t listen to
him, he doesn’t have any money. I’ll pay double for us both if you don’t let him out.”
“No stops,” the man tells Preston.
I grin. “There’s an extra fifty in it for you too if you circle the block a few times before you drop us off.”
“Done.”
Preston throws his hands up. “Unbelievable. In case you forgot, I’m on a deadline.”
“I know, and now that I’m paying almost two hundred dollars for fifteen minutes of your undivided attention, perhaps you’ll finally listen to my proposition. Unless you look forward to knowing what it feels like to drown in your own blood tomorrow morning.”
His jaw works. “Start talking.”
I fold my hands in my lap. “I’ll give you the money so this Campanelli guy doesn’t off you. I just need you to do me a favor and marry me.”
His eyes dart around the cab briefly, like he’s waiting for me to tell him we’re on a hidden camera show. “Why in the world would you want to marry me? I thought you were a lesbian. I mean, I know I’m irresistible and all but—”
“Trust me, you’re not.” I exhale slowly, attempting to explain this the best I can. “I’m still very much a lesbian. Which is why my nanna refuses to make me her beneficiary. She’s losing her battle with cancer, and when she drew up her will, she cut me out. But her will contains all the money from my parents’ estate. The money I’m rightfully entitled to regardless of my sexuality.”
He frowns. “But everything is yours when you turn twenty-five, remember? So even if she croaks tomorrow, you only have another year to go.”
I smooth my hands down my pants to stop them from shaking. “No, I don’t. She lied to me. Sort of. According to the family lawyer, my parents wanted it to go to me when I turned twenty-five, but my dad didn’t want his money tied up in case we needed it, so he put my nanna in charge and left everything to her. He figured she would respect his wishes. He also didn’t plan on both him and my mom dying when I was eight.”
His frown deepens as I continue. “Anyway, she can legally do whatever she wants with the money. Including not give it to me because she doesn’t like the fact that her only granddaughter likes pussy.”
In the rearview mirror, I see the driver’s eyes become saucers.
I snap my fingers. “Eyes on the road, pal.”
Preston folds his arms across his chest. “What a cunt.”
“I know. However, she said she’d make me her beneficiary if I married a man.” I bat my eyelashes. “Do I need to buy you a pretty ring and get down on one knee, or will you do me a solid and accept my curbside proposal?”
I can see the wheels in his head turning as he drags a hand down his face. “The two of us getting married is a horrible idea.”
Dread crawls up my spine. I wasn’t prepared for him to turn me down. I have no choice but to lay it all on the line. “Three years ago, Kyle held a gun up to my head and you traded places with me. Then you pulled me into an elevator and kept me safe. You didn’t have to do either of those things, but you did. I’d like to return the favor.” He starts to speak, but I raise a hand. “I know we’re not exactly bosom buddies and most of the time we can’t stand one another, but I also know I can trust you with my life. And I hope you know you can trust me with yours.”
When he starts to object again, I add, “I’ll give you two million dollars on top of whatever it is you owe Campanelli.”
The tires screech and we stop so short I’m pretty sure I’d be leaving a permanent indent in the back of the passenger seat if it wasn’t for Preston extending his arm out in front of me.
“What the hell?” Preston yells, but the driver ignores him and turns to me. “I will do it.” He takes my hand. “Beautiful pink-haired goddess, nothing in the world would make me happier than to be your husband.”
I blink, a little taken back. “Um, well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt to have a plan B.”
A low growl erupts from Preston. “Don’t you dare, Bishop.”
“Hey, I am a good man and good provider. I take care of my family,” the driver says emphatically. “Just ask my wife.” He kisses my hand. “She’s delightful, you will love her.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “We can all have sexy fun together, yes?”
Preston grabs him by the collar. “If you don’t turn the fuck around and start driving, the only sex you’ll be getting is my foot up your ass.”
He drops my hand like it's a grenade and a moment later we're weaving through traffic.
“Does this mean you’ll accept my offer?”
A crease forms between his brows. “No.”
I look out the window so he can’t see how disappointed I am. “So you want to die?”
“I’m not saying I couldn’t use the money, but I don’t—”
I whip my head around, beyond exasperated. “Seriously? You were willing to get it on with a married woman you don’t even know in hopes of scoring some cash, but you won’t help a girl who is begging and offering you the money you need to continue breathing? Jesus, I know you aren’t too fond of me, but it’s not like it would be real. It’s nothing more than a business arrangement. We’d barely see one another, let alone have sex. The only time I’d contact you is if there was an emergency.”
“Sounds like real marriage to me,” the driver mutters.
“You know,” I continue, “There are much worse things that could happen to you than having me as your wife.” My chest stings, not only because every day that goes by is another day my uncle could possibly gain access to my parents’ estate. But if I can’t even get Preston—a gambler who hustles women for money—to agree to marry me, it goes without saying my chances of finding real love are bleaker than I thought.
I blink back tears. “I didn’t realize death was a better fate than marrying me.”
His expression softens. “It’s not—”
“No, it’s cool, I’ll just marry…” I look at the driver. “I’m sorry, what’s your name?”
His face lights up. “Kevin.”
“I’ll marry Kevin here. I think there’s a chapel nearby, right?”
“Yes,” he exclaims cheerfully. “But you need to go to the courthouse for the license first. You can fill it out online to save time. I’ll have us there in five minutes. Three if I blow this light.” He cringes. “An hour if I call my wife and tell her I’m marrying a rich American girl.”
I paste a smile on my face. “Sounds like a plan.”
Preston glares daggers at me when I pull out my phone. “You know it’s illegal to marry someone who’s already married, right?”
I don’t look up from my device. “Why do you care? You declined my marriage proposal, remember?”
He punches the seat. “Because I don’t think you should give her what she wants. Fuck, hire a better lawyer, go through the courts, but don’t let her do this to you. Don’t let her win, because no amount of money is worth giving up your soul. Trust me, I know.”
Tears sting my eyes for a different reason now. “It’s not my soul I’d be giving up.” Clutching my arms around myself, I tell him my real reason for doing this. “She’s going to leave everything to my uncle if I don’t.” Anger courses through my veins and I start shaking. “Why should he be rewarded for setting up the two people I loved the most in this world? Why should he get a prize for destroying a little girl?”
I tap my chest. “I couldn’t do anything to protect my parents. I couldn’t stop them from getting on the plane and I couldn’t convince anyone to put away the man I believe to be responsible for what happened to them. I will never get justice and it eats at my heart every time I look in the mirror and see them staring back at me. But this? Making sure he never gets a cent of what they left behind? That’s something I can do. And I don’t give a fuck if you disagree, Preston. With or without you, I’m still doing it.”
As if on cue, we drive up to the courthouse.
Kevin clears his throat. “We’re here.” He goes to get out of the car, but Preston yanks him bac
k. “Over my dead body, buddy.”
My mouth drops open in shock. “Does this mean you’ll do it?”
He gives me a small nod, his expression somber.
I’d give all the pennies in the world to find out what he’s thinking. However, I know better than to waste my time wondering…because Preston doesn’t show his cards to anyone.
* * *
“Drive-thru or indoor ceremony?” Kevin, who’s still a little bitter about not getting hitched questions as we pull up to a little white wedding chapel that’s aptly named after its description.
Preston checks his watch. “Drive-thru will be quicker.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, suppressing the urge to throw my arms around him. I didn’t get the chance to thank him at the courthouse because everything happened so quickly. We were in and out in under ten minutes with barely even a word passed between us.
Our gazes clash and he inches toward me, making it hard to breathe. I feel like the bottom of the car is about to give way underneath my feet at any second.
His hand slides to my cheek, his calloused thumb brushing over my mascara streaks from earlier. “You might want to hold off on thanking me because I owe Campanelli one million. So, it’s three million in total you’ll be forking over.” He smirks, pulling me closer. “If you want to consummate our marriage, I’ll give you the best fuck of your life for free. But if you want more than that, it’s gonna cost you.”
I scowl at his crude offer. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
His nostrils flare and he clasps my jaw. The move is so unexpected, my breath stutters in my chest. “I’m dead fucking serious.”
My heart pounds when he leans in, his lips a centimeter from mine. “This isn’t a joke, Bishop. It’s your warning. Whether you ever cream my dick or not, consider yourself thoroughly fucked because you’re about to marry Preston Holden. It’s an honor that comes with a closet full of skeletons you’ll never uncover but will incinerate you anyway if you’re foolish enough to get too close to the fire.” His fingers tighten. “I’ve destroyed everything that’s ever been mine—do you really want to roll the dice and take that risk?” When I nod, the tip of his tongue flicks out to touch my bottom lip, intentionally provoking me. “Last chance, angry girl. Because once we do this, there’s no going back. Are you one hundred and fifty percent certain you want to be my wife?”